Vatican City - It feels like the square can speak in a voice: "Leone! Leone! Leone!"

Thousands of people in St Peter's Square chanted in the chorus, the name Robert Prevost adopted when he took the Pope on Thursday: Leo XIV.

Just an hour and a half ago, white smoke emerged from the chimney of the Sistine Church, announcing that a meeting of the Cardinal elected the new leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

Now, it's time to see Pope Leo. Solemn silence in the square. Faithfully waiting to hear the Pope's first message, which will set the tone for his Pope.

Lion Fourteen said, "Peace is coming upon you."

He began to repeat the blessings that his late predecessor, Pope Francis, said: "God loves us, God loves everyone, evil will not prevail. We are in the hands of God."

It was a time of close attention, with the red cardinal poking out from a nearby window to catch the first glance of the newly cast Pontiff.

Pope Leo XIV was elected the second day of the meeting, and his opening speech as leader demonstrated the continuity with Francis, who died on April 21 at the age of 88. But experts say he is likely to go on the middle path between furthering Francis’ inclusive agenda and embracing the Vatican tradition.

"Peace" is one of the most commonly used words in his brief speech, an option designed to respond to the words Jesus sent after Easter, as Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni explained in a press conference.

Leo Xiv called on Catholics to seek “disarmament and disarmament” through “dialogue” and “building bridges”, a brief speech with the theme of solidarity.

"Bravo! That's what we need!" a listener in the square shouted as the new pope spoke.

Another 29-year-old from Denmark, Kasper Mihalak, was squeezed in the middle of the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of the first North American pope.

"I'm really excited. Now it's the cardinal of Leo XIV - it's going to be amazing! He said a lot about peace in his speech. I think the world now really needs it," Mihalak said.

Rosaria Venuto could hardly stop her tears. In the early morning, she picked up two children and drove four hours from Ascoli Satriano, a small town in the southern Italian province of Apulia, in St. Peter's Square.

“I have a deep chance to come here and have this joy and be a small part of this historical event,” she said.

His own man

Leo XIV was born in Chicago, the Midwest U.S. city, and spent more than two decades in Peru, where he obtained dual citizenship.

There, he worked in some of Peru's poorest areas, and eventually he became the bishop of Chiclayo in the northern part of the country's agricultural north. Then, in 2023, Pope Francis appointed him to lead a powerful office that governs the bishops worldwide.

Vatican expert Phil Pullella, who covers the history of the Pope for more than 40 years, said the background offers a degree of continuity with Francis, who pays tribute from Argentina and advocates against poverty.

“He knew about the poverty in Latin America,” Pullella said of Leo XIV. “So, for example, he was not the matter of being elected Cardinal of New York.”

Pullella added that conservative camps in the Vatican, as well as liberal camps, may appreciate this continuity.

"He comes from a wealthy world, but he has witnessed first-hand the global South problem of a poor country," he said.

Still, Pullella notes that the way Leo Xiv dresses shows that “he will be his own man.”

When Leo XIII was elected in 2013, Pope Francis added a traditional red cape to his vest, symbolizing the spirit and time power of his office.

“In a sense, he’s going to go back to this tradition,” Prara said. “If he hadn’t voted from the conservative group, he wouldn’t have been elected.”

A unified character

The election of Lion Fourteen surprised many people. Many observers bet on the new pope when nightfalls, but few expect to vote for only three rounds.

The crowd was shocked when the white smoke began to pour out of the small chimney at around 6:09 pm local time (16:00 GMT).

This is the signal that of the 133 cardinals who are eligible to vote, the candidates received the two-thirds majority they needed to become the pope.

This year’s conclusion is the most international difference in Vatican history: Participated cardinals from over 70 countries represent different perspectives on the future of the Catholic Church.

Diversity is part of the legacy of Pope Francis, who appointed cardinals from underrepresented countries such as Laos and Haiti to expand the church's global appeal.

Francis, who served as Catholic president for 12 years, shocked the institution by adopting a unique style and tone, focusing on austerity and advocacy for marginalized people.

The late Pope's efforts sparked the excitement of the reformers, but were also frustrated by the conservatives, who accused him of diluting the church's teachings. Experts say this has led to polarization within the church, with some members criticizing Francis for dispersing the authority of the church.

These experts point out that Leo XIV's experience in Roman Curia (Church government) is likely to be a selling point among conservative congress voters seeking stability in the coming years.

What is the name?

Although Pope Lion Fourteen's first step has not been revealed, his choice of name is worth noting.

Vatican spokesman Bruni pointed out that "Leo" is a direct reference to Pope Leo XIII, who adopted a new sociology in the late 19th century.

In 1891, Pope Leo XIII wrote an encyclopedia or letter to the Pope called novarum. It calls on Catholics to address the “poor” faced by the working class amid the turbulence and political changes of industrialization and political changes such as the unification of Italy.

This encyclopedia marks a radical new approach to workers and triggers the creation of Catholic newspapers, social cooperatives and banks, a social movement that still lives today.

Bruni said the current Pope Leo hopes to be similar to that time through its technological revolution.

"In the AI ​​era, it's not a coincidence of mentioning men and women at their work," Bruni explained.

Robert Orsi, a professor of religious studies at Northwestern University, said choosing a name may also indicate other historical similarities.

"Strongly let go of a movement called Americanism," said Orsey.

"This movement is a nationalist impulse in Catholicism, where the state church claims to have its own identity, and its own special way of doing things," he explained. "And I think, by choosing the name Leo Xiv, there is no doubt that the pope shows back to the global Catholicism."

Pullella also believes that it is worth noting that Leo Xiv avoids highlighting connections with the United States when he mentions his parishioners in Peru.

"I don't think it's very important for him to not yell at the United States. He didn't say, 'I'm from the United States.' He didn't speak in English," Pullella said.

Pullella added that this sent a message: "Basically he is not owned by the United States." Leo XIV has previously criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for his likeness to Francis’ late pope on issues such as nationalism and immigration.

Nevertheless, Orsi predicts the Vatican’s handling of Trump in the coming years is “subtle and wise”.